1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to room conditioners and, more particularly, to heaters embodied with ceiling fans for injecting heated air into the airflow generated by the ceiling fan to uniformly maintain a room at a constant comfortable temperature.
2. Description of Related Art
In present forced air heating systems, whether in an office environment or in a residence, a heating element is energized by burning gas, burning coal or electricity. A blower is employed for blowing air across the heating element to force the heated air into a duct system. Entry of the heated air into the duct system generally requires a change in direction of the blown heated air, which change or direction creates resistance to air flow. To channel the heated air through multiple changes of direction within the duct system until it is finally exhausted into respective rooms creates further resistance to the air flow. Louvers, whether fixed or movable, generally cover the duct system outlets in each room. Such louvers further alter the direction of air flow and create resistance to the air flow. The collective sum of resistances to air flow presented by a conventional forced air system requires a blower of significant power to ultimately provide a reasonable flow of air into each room through a louvered outlet.
The louvered outlets may be close to the floor, close to the ceiling or anywhere in between depending upon various construction requirements and other impediments. The outflow of heated air through an outlet close to the floor will create adjacent hot spots for an occupant that renders seating close to the louvered outlet uncomfortable. Heated air flow through a louvered outlet close to the ceiling tends to restrict disbursement of the heated air throughout the room as heated air rises and tends to remain in proximity with the ceiling; thus, there may exist cold spots in parts of the room close to the floor. Finally, certain parts of a room be subjected to a downward blast of hot air that is uncomfortable and limits furniture arrangement to prevent a person from being subjected to such a blast.
Conventional duct work is generally of galvanized sheet material which is an excellent thermal conductor. The duct work will therefore tend to become heated and radiate heat into the adjacent attic or walls. Such radiated heat is lost to the occupants of a residence or office and the heater must have an output of sufficient BTU""s (British thermal units) to compensate for these heat losses and yet provide sufficient heat to the rooms of interest.
The change in temperature of the duct work may result in condensation developing on the surface of the duct work and adjacent the louvers at the outlets. Such condensation may flow and seep into the material of the walls of a room and cause discoloration.
If certain rooms or offices are unoccupied, it is bothersome to prevent the heating thereof as the respective louvers must be closed and thereafter reopened. Such closing and reopening is generally considered too bothersome to be done unless the respective room is to be closed for a significant period of time. Thus, rooms which are not occupied will remain heated to the detriment of unnecessary energy usage and expense.
It therefore becomes evident that presently widely used forced air heating systems require large capacity heaters to overcome the thermal losses incurred during delivery of the heated air to each room. Large capacity blowers are required to overcome the flow restrictions presented by the duct system and outlet louvers. The energy consumption resulting from such heaters and blowers without any benefit to the occupants of a residence or office is significant and expensive. Blasts of hot air and poor mixing of the heated air with the ambient air in the space to be heated creates discomfort to the occupants.
The present invention is directed to a room conditioner for heating and gently recirculating air in a room to maintain the air throughout the room at a pleasant uniform temperature without drafts or blasts of heated air. The room conditioner may have a heating element mounted above the motor of a ceiling fan to heat the air flowing therepast. A secondary fan operated in response to rotation of the rotor of the ceiling fan, draws air upwardly past the heating element. The heated air is mixed with the air caused to flow upwardly by operation of the set of fan blades of the ceiling fan. Under certain circumstances the ceiling fan and the secondary fan may direct the air flow downwardly. The resulting warmed air circulates gently throughout the room to warm the room to a temperature comfortable for a user. All of the heat produced by the heating element is essentially conveyed throughout the room at significant energy cost savings compared to a forced air heating system. When the room is not being used, the ceiling fan and heating element may be turned off to conserve on electrical energy resulting in an attendant cost savings.
It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide a room conditioner for efficiently heating and maintaining a room at a temperature comfortable to a user.
Another object of the present invention is to provide energy efficient apparatus for selectively heating a room being used.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a room conditioner producing high volume low velocity heated air circulating throughout a room.
Yet another object of the present invention is provide a room conditioner embodying a ceiling fan and an associated heating element, which heating element will not increase the operating temperature of the ceiling fan motor.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a room conditioner embodying a motor for rotating the set of blades of a ceiling fan and a secondary fan for drawing air past a heating element to mix the heated air with the surrounding air flow produced by the set of blades of the ceiling fan.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a room conditioner having a common housing for a ceiling fan motor, a secondary fan, and a heating element for heating the air flowing therepast in response to the secondary fan.
A yet further object of the present invention is to provide a room conditioner capable of introducing a flow of heated air with a heater and for cooling a room when the heater is not energized.
A yet further object of the present invention is to provide a method for uniformly and efficiently heating a room.
These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art as the description thereof proceeds.